The Iron Age in Atlantic Scotland was characterised by the emergence of monumental Atlantic roundhouses including the well-known broch towers. These are among the best preserved settlements in Iron ...
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The Iron Age in Atlantic Scotland was characterised by the emergence of monumental Atlantic roundhouses including the well-known broch towers. These are among the best preserved settlements in Iron Age Europe, with complex drystone architecture. Key sites including Dun Carloway and Loch na Beirgh in Lewis are discussed. The chapter considers their architecture and the nature of the societies that built them.Less

The Atlantic Roundhouses

Ian Armit

Published in print: 1996-04-01

The Iron Age in Atlantic Scotland was characterised by the emergence of monumental Atlantic roundhouses including the well-known broch towers. These are among the best preserved settlements in Iron Age Europe, with complex drystone architecture. Key sites including Dun Carloway and Loch na Beirgh in Lewis are discussed. The chapter considers their architecture and the nature of the societies that built them.

The characteristic settlement for of the Later Iron Age, from around 100 BC – AD 200 was the wheelhouse; small, elaborately constructed drystone roundhouses that were often half-buried in the ground. ...
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The characteristic settlement for of the Later Iron Age, from around 100 BC – AD 200 was the wheelhouse; small, elaborately constructed drystone roundhouses that were often half-buried in the ground. This chapter examines key sites like Cnip in Lewis and Sollas in North Uist and examines their relationship to broch towers, and the insights they can give us into Iron Age ritual and religion.Less

Wheelhouses

Ian Armit

Published in print: 1996-04-01

The characteristic settlement for of the Later Iron Age, from around 100 BC – AD 200 was the wheelhouse; small, elaborately constructed drystone roundhouses that were often half-buried in the ground. This chapter examines key sites like Cnip in Lewis and Sollas in North Uist and examines their relationship to broch towers, and the insights they can give us into Iron Age ritual and religion.

This book represents an important shift in the interpretation of skeletal remains in the Americas. Until recently, bioarchaeology has focused on interpreting and analyzing populations. The chapters ...
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This book represents an important shift in the interpretation of skeletal remains in the Americas. Until recently, bioarchaeology has focused on interpreting and analyzing populations. The chapters here examine how individuals fit into those larger populations. The overall aim is to demonstrate how bioarchaeologists can uniquely contribute to our understanding of the formation, representation, and repercussions of identity. The book combines historical and archaeological data with population-genetic analyses, biogeochemical analyses of human tooth enamel and bones, mortuary patterns, and body modifications. Case studies drawn from North, Central, and South American mortuary remains from AD 500 to the Colonial period examine a wide range of factors that make up identity, including ethnicity, age, gender, and social, political, and religious constructions. By adding a valuable biological element to the study of culture—a topic traditionally associated with social theorists, ethnographers, and historical archaeologies—the book aims to highlight the importance of skeletal evidence in helping us better understand our past.Less

Bioarchaeology and Identity in the Americas

Published in print: 2011-01-09

This book represents an important shift in the interpretation of skeletal remains in the Americas. Until recently, bioarchaeology has focused on interpreting and analyzing populations. The chapters here examine how individuals fit into those larger populations. The overall aim is to demonstrate how bioarchaeologists can uniquely contribute to our understanding of the formation, representation, and repercussions of identity. The book combines historical and archaeological data with population-genetic analyses, biogeochemical analyses of human tooth enamel and bones, mortuary patterns, and body modifications. Case studies drawn from North, Central, and South American mortuary remains from AD 500 to the Colonial period examine a wide range of factors that make up identity, including ethnicity, age, gender, and social, political, and religious constructions. By adding a valuable biological element to the study of culture—a topic traditionally associated with social theorists, ethnographers, and historical archaeologies—the book aims to highlight the importance of skeletal evidence in helping us better understand our past.

This chapter presents the osteobiography of a middle-aged man from Ban Chiang, Thailand (1700-900 B.C.). Carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis from bone apatite and oxygen, carbon and strontium ...
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This chapter presents the osteobiography of a middle-aged man from Ban Chiang, Thailand (1700-900 B.C.). Carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis from bone apatite and oxygen, carbon and strontium isotopes from tooth dentin, and archaeological context of the interment were used to reconstruct the life history of this individual. Dubbed “Vulcan” during excavations, this was a robust man, who died, possibly of a pulmonary infection, after a relatively long life of physical activity, including crafting metal or wood and hunting.Less

Vulcan : Skilled Village Craftsman of Ban Chiang, Thailand

Ann L. W. StodderAnn M. Palkovich

Published in print: 2012-04-22

This chapter presents the osteobiography of a middle-aged man from Ban Chiang, Thailand (1700-900 B.C.). Carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis from bone apatite and oxygen, carbon and strontium isotopes from tooth dentin, and archaeological context of the interment were used to reconstruct the life history of this individual. Dubbed “Vulcan” during excavations, this was a robust man, who died, possibly of a pulmonary infection, after a relatively long life of physical activity, including crafting metal or wood and hunting.

This chapter presents a bioarchaeological study of the widespread practice of skull deformation among the peoples of the Iron Age Sargat culture living in the forest-steppe region of the Trans-Urals ...
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This chapter presents a bioarchaeological study of the widespread practice of skull deformation among the peoples of the Iron Age Sargat culture living in the forest-steppe region of the Trans-Urals and western Siberia. Archaeological investigation of the Sargat culture has yielded burial mounds (kurgans) containing the remains of males, females and juveniles, only few of whom display evidence of intentional cranial deformation. Skeletal and contextual analysis of the burials of this small group of individuals, dating to 100 bc to 300 ad, indicates that skull deformation among the Iron Age Sargat culture served as a marker of social status, signaling membership in a semi-nomadic privileged group that likely held greater social and/or political power than the majority of the population.Less

Skull Deformation During the Iron Age in the Trans-Urals and Western Siberia

Svetlana SharapovaDmitry Razhev

Published in print: 2011-05-08

This chapter presents a bioarchaeological study of the widespread practice of skull deformation among the peoples of the Iron Age Sargat culture living in the forest-steppe region of the Trans-Urals and western Siberia. Archaeological investigation of the Sargat culture has yielded burial mounds (kurgans) containing the remains of males, females and juveniles, only few of whom display evidence of intentional cranial deformation. Skeletal and contextual analysis of the burials of this small group of individuals, dating to 100 bc to 300 ad, indicates that skull deformation among the Iron Age Sargat culture served as a marker of social status, signaling membership in a semi-nomadic privileged group that likely held greater social and/or political power than the majority of the population.

Compared to examining gender, age groups, social political structures, and other such concepts of ancient cultures, looking into how these concepts are incorporated in Gulf Coast Olmec material ...
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Compared to examining gender, age groups, social political structures, and other such concepts of ancient cultures, looking into how these concepts are incorporated in Gulf Coast Olmec material culture is especially difficult because no ethnohistoric or ethnographic resources, as well as hieroglyphic or pictographic texts, are available. Since the area is a tropical rainforest environment, only the Formative period glyphs that are made of ceramic and stone survive. The handmade ceramic figurines are found to be the most common form of Olmec sculpture, and these have to be thoroughly examined in order to arrive at an adequate understanding of these cultures. Looking into the iconography attributed to these ancient sculptures may help us to gage relevant insights into imagery. This chapter attempts to focus on how the imagery reveals sex, gender, and age groups.Less

Billie J. A. Follensbee

Published in print: 2009-06-21

Compared to examining gender, age groups, social political structures, and other such concepts of ancient cultures, looking into how these concepts are incorporated in Gulf Coast Olmec material culture is especially difficult because no ethnohistoric or ethnographic resources, as well as hieroglyphic or pictographic texts, are available. Since the area is a tropical rainforest environment, only the Formative period glyphs that are made of ceramic and stone survive. The handmade ceramic figurines are found to be the most common form of Olmec sculpture, and these have to be thoroughly examined in order to arrive at an adequate understanding of these cultures. Looking into the iconography attributed to these ancient sculptures may help us to gage relevant insights into imagery. This chapter attempts to focus on how the imagery reveals sex, gender, and age groups.

Cranio-morphological variability, using Penrose Shape Distances and subsequent cluster analysis, was examined in order to explore questions concerning the origins and genetic relationships of ancient ...
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Cranio-morphological variability, using Penrose Shape Distances and subsequent cluster analysis, was examined in order to explore questions concerning the origins and genetic relationships of ancient Neolithic through Mongolian Period populations in Mongolia and surrounding regions. Marked morphological-and by implication genetic-diversity was evident in the Neolithic through Bronze Age periods. Western Mongolia was characterized by samples with Caucasoid and/or mixed morphologies, while peoples with developed Mongoloid features populated Central and Eastern Mongolia. Subsequently, considerable levels of migration during the later Bronze and early Iron Ages had a particularly marked effect on the genetic makeup of Western Mongolian human populations, which became much more Mongoloid in cranio-morphological terms. High levels of mobility continued to characterize the region, with Xiongnu period populations, for instance, showing high levels of morphological heterogeneity.Less

Mongolian Origins and Cranio-Morphometric Variability : Neolithic to Mongolian Period

Tumen Dashtseveg

Published in print: 2013-07-09

Cranio-morphological variability, using Penrose Shape Distances and subsequent cluster analysis, was examined in order to explore questions concerning the origins and genetic relationships of ancient Neolithic through Mongolian Period populations in Mongolia and surrounding regions. Marked morphological-and by implication genetic-diversity was evident in the Neolithic through Bronze Age periods. Western Mongolia was characterized by samples with Caucasoid and/or mixed morphologies, while peoples with developed Mongoloid features populated Central and Eastern Mongolia. Subsequently, considerable levels of migration during the later Bronze and early Iron Ages had a particularly marked effect on the genetic makeup of Western Mongolian human populations, which became much more Mongoloid in cranio-morphological terms. High levels of mobility continued to characterize the region, with Xiongnu period populations, for instance, showing high levels of morphological heterogeneity.

This chapter presents the age-at-death and sex distributions at all three sites, and the strontium isotope and ancient mtDNA data from Conchopata. Those demographic data are used to reconstruct the ...
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This chapter presents the age-at-death and sex distributions at all three sites, and the strontium isotope and ancient mtDNA data from Conchopata. Those demographic data are used to reconstruct the forms of community organization at each site and how they differ. At Conchopata, there are significantly more females than males, and the author suggests that this may be because men died while away on military campaigns, never to return to their home community to receive proper burial. The Beringa demographic profile appears to represent the once-living community and indicates that it was a village community with extended family groups. The La Real demographic profile is not representative of a once-living community; there are few infants and children, and significantly more men than women, which likely reflects a burial program whereby adult men were preferentially selected for burial there.Less

Tiffiny A. Tung

Published in print: 2012-02-12

This chapter presents the age-at-death and sex distributions at all three sites, and the strontium isotope and ancient mtDNA data from Conchopata. Those demographic data are used to reconstruct the forms of community organization at each site and how they differ. At Conchopata, there are significantly more females than males, and the author suggests that this may be because men died while away on military campaigns, never to return to their home community to receive proper burial. The Beringa demographic profile appears to represent the once-living community and indicates that it was a village community with extended family groups. The La Real demographic profile is not representative of a once-living community; there are few infants and children, and significantly more men than women, which likely reflects a burial program whereby adult men were preferentially selected for burial there.

The Qin people played a significant role in the rise and unification of Imperial China. Bioarchaeological investigation of oral health and wear on dental material from the Bronze Age Qin site of ...
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The Qin people played a significant role in the rise and unification of Imperial China. Bioarchaeological investigation of oral health and wear on dental material from the Bronze Age Qin site of Xishan in Lixian County was used to reconstruct socioeconomic behavior and elucidate the origin and development of Qin culture. Overall, the pattern of dental pathology, including dental wear, caries, antemortem tooth loss (AMTL), and maxillary exostoses and mandibular tori, suggests that animal protein was a significant component of the diet of the Xishan people. However, high frequencies of AMTL and caries suggest that the Xishan people also relied substantially on agriculturally derived plant products. This interpretation is consistent with previous studies on bone chemistry, paleoenvironment, and historical accounts.Less

Dental Wear and Oral Health as Indicators of Diet among the Early Qin People : A Case Study from the Xishan Site, Gansu Province

Wei MiaoWang TaoZhao CongcangLiu WuWang Changsui

Published in print: 2013-07-09

The Qin people played a significant role in the rise and unification of Imperial China. Bioarchaeological investigation of oral health and wear on dental material from the Bronze Age Qin site of Xishan in Lixian County was used to reconstruct socioeconomic behavior and elucidate the origin and development of Qin culture. Overall, the pattern of dental pathology, including dental wear, caries, antemortem tooth loss (AMTL), and maxillary exostoses and mandibular tori, suggests that animal protein was a significant component of the diet of the Xishan people. However, high frequencies of AMTL and caries suggest that the Xishan people also relied substantially on agriculturally derived plant products. This interpretation is consistent with previous studies on bone chemistry, paleoenvironment, and historical accounts.